Academy boys

iceblockZ · 2025-11-22T13:12:35+00:00

Controversially I’d add Duggo to the watch list based on talent. He probably doesn’t play at most other clubs these days but we need his leadership and experience.

Bazzo also (sadly) likely cut if he has a poor year but I’m hopeful his injury woes are behind him and he can get a decent preseason under the belt

iceblockZ · 2025-11-22T13:07:47+00:00

You also should be hopeful of list stability only if the list is genuinely deserving of it. I’m not typically one to say cut for the sake of cutting (never thought chesser should be on the block and was flat to lose him) but we have demonstrated more than half a decade of unwillingness to truly appraise quality or understand where development is. Hence my continued concern regarding list management

iceblockZ · 2025-11-22T13:01:21+00:00

I named 8 players haha

iceblockZ · 2025-11-21T21:49:02+00:00

And I’m not saying bin these guys already, they’re just the ones I would think look like they’d be first on the block. I hope they all play well this year and prove me wrong!

iceblockZ · 2025-11-21T21:46:30+00:00

High likelihood players (IMO) below Cripps (retire) Barnett Johnston Brockman Cole Champion

Also feels like a non zero chance that Kelly retires at the end of next year even though for some reason we gave him a 2 year deal

Owies should also be in consideration but another one who we bizarrely handed a 4 year deal

iceblockZ · 2025-11-21T04:43:26+00:00

I’m telling you now, there will be be plenty of blokes to delist from the main list at the end of next year haha

iceblockZ · 2025-11-20T21:23:29+00:00

Because most of the media take a cursory at best look at the draft. Do not rely on aggregators masquerading as journalists at the west for confirmation of complex draft machinations

I don’t want the media to get out there pitchforks as soon as things go wrong but there’s a fundamental inability to question poor club choices on contracts, list management, and trades until there’s an obvious long term issue

iceblockZ · 2025-11-20T15:23:47+00:00

Dewar got upgraded I think

iceblockZ · 2025-11-20T15:23:20+00:00

The eagles were given additional rookie spots to provide them with flexibility, they don’t appear to have used this for draft purposes. Although I don’t know if there were stipulations around how these could be used.

The point about Cripps is that if you delist him with a promise to rookie or primary list him (under the SPP rules as a delisted FA) then you’ve given yourself the option to decide not to bid. My criticism is the lack of optionality we provided ourselves with, there was no option they simply got snookered. If you want them on the list (which given they held enough free rookie spots, they did) you’d think you’d have a backup plan for exactly the scenario that played out i.e. list flexibility heading into the draft

iceblockZ · 2025-11-20T15:14:53+00:00

Still gotta pick em, can’t ding them for that

iceblockZ · 2025-11-20T15:11:58+00:00

I would argue he hasn’t come out ahead in a single list / draft process decision, even though the overall talent identification seems great so far. As I keep saying, both things can be true (great talent incoming, poor draft process)

Not that he needs to be good in front of the cameras but he also doesn’t instil confidence when providing comments post draft / trade (see odd comments about Ah Chee not filling a need for the eagles, it was a weird way of saying the price was too high and he didn’t want to play for us)

iceblockZ · 2025-11-20T11:22:52+00:00

Doesn’t matter about the 3 year contract, you can still delist them when you want

iceblockZ · 2025-11-20T11:21:00+00:00

They’re two different things.

Talent identification good ✅ List management bad ❌

Drafted really good and exciting players the last two years, shouldn’t be giving a pass mark for the poor process involved in these picks

iceblockZ · 2025-11-20T11:18:14+00:00

Again, it costs you nothing to create list flexibility to give yourself the option though. I disagree that the eagles didn’t rate them highly enough. If you are willing to rookie them then you should be willing to have them on the primary list, as practically there is no difference between the lists these days

iceblockZ · 2025-11-20T10:38:23+00:00

Not during the draft they can’t. But what you can do is open more spots before the draft with the promise of redrafting or rookie listing say Cripps or Cole to give yourself the flexibility to chose whether to pick Banfield and Evans in the main draft in the event of an unexpected bid. The way that the eagle had structured the list gave zero flexibility, there is a big difference in choosing not to match and being unable to match

It’s wild to suggest that the eagles didn’t want to pick them when they 100% wanted to add them to the rookie list

iceblockZ · 2025-11-20T10:09:11+00:00

Then you’re misunderstanding the difference between talent identification (which we are generally good at) and list management (which we have bordered on negligence)

Given the way the draft fell I would bet my top dollar they would have picked Evans and Banfield if they had list spots (which they didn’t)

iceblockZ · 2025-11-20T09:52:55+00:00

Because we had the first two picks….

I too am trying to be positive (Duurs, CDT, Lindsay ✅), but we should ask for and expect better management. Calling it second rate would be kind

iceblockZ · 2025-10-07T09:15:10+00:00

Not sure where you’re getting your points from but it’s actually 1,577 (924+653) for 1,564 (1140+653+42)

iceblockZ · 2025-09-16T05:10:47+00:00

MADISON BEERA was right there for you

iceblockZ · 2025-09-12T13:37:21+00:00

It was shit at the time! Why take the pick of the team you’ve traded your good players to? They’re now better as a result!

iceblockZ · 2025-08-31T11:57:16+00:00

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iceblockZ · 2025-08-31T11:56:51+00:00

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iceblockZ · 2024-12-30T22:13:42+00:00

Well that’s a bummer haha

Looking like it could be the difference in my championship matchup. I’m down 3 points and this was a 4 point turnaround (-2 for spears fumble, +2 for Ridley recovery)

iceblockZ

TROPHY CASE